Cost of Living Comparison Between Rota and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Rota and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,698 in Rota versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,474 in Rota versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Rota versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Rota is roughly 38% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rota is 24% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.14 €14.94

$4.41 ฿147

288.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.2 €55.9

$32.26 ฿1,077

98.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.93

$8.93 ฿298

27.55%

Cappuccino

$2.39 €2.08

$2.90 ฿96.6

-17.59%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.44

$0.88 ฿29.38

217.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.78

$0.48 ฿16.06

327.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €3.03

$2.35 ฿78.5

47.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.15

$3.72 ฿124

27.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.09

$1.87 ฿62.3

-32.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 €1.26

$1.47 ฿48.94

-2.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.68

$1.55 ฿51.8

24.52%

Eggs

$3.63 €3.16

$2.10 ฿70.1

72.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.60 €13.60

$19.59 ฿654

-20.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.28 €7.22

$3.42 ฿114

142.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.80 €13.77

$11.38 ฿380

38.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 €2.26

$2.98 ฿99.6

-13.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 €1.68

$1.68 ฿56.2

14.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$2.21 ฿73.7

-19.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.61 €2.27

$2.16 ฿72.1

20.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 €1.42

$1.52 ฿50.9

7.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 €1.89

$1.34 ฿44.67

61.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.15

$1.13 ฿37.67

16.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 €0.56

$0.55 ฿18.24

18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.92 €6.03

$4.26 ฿142

62.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.43 €5.60

$19.09 ฿637

-66.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 €1.03

$1.78 ฿59.4

-33.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.78 ฿92.9

-14.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 €1.44

$2.23 ฿74.4

-26.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.82 €30.35

$22.74 ฿759

53.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 €1.75

$3.03 ฿101

-33.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.02 ฿34.15

24.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.98 €20.03

$3.89 ฿130

490.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.49 ฿49.77

17.45%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$37.3K €32.5K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

40.33%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$30.5K €26.6K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

12.72%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$162 €141

$102 ฿3,420

58.39%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$10.80 €9.42

$11.33 ฿378

-4.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.32 €22.94

$17.40 ฿581

51.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.95 €40.93

$52.1 ฿1,738

-9.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.85 €14.68

$11.07 ฿370

52.21%

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 €8.74

$7.69 ฿257

30.30%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$830 €724

$561 ฿18.7K

48.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €9,176

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-8.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.9 €81.0

$63.0 ฿2,104

47.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.81 €35.58

$29.52 ฿986

38.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 €76.2

$98.0 ฿3,272

-10.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €98.0

$88.5 ฿2,954

27.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 €808

$738 ฿24.6K

25.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$693 €604

$482 ฿16.1K

43.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,375 €1,198

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-34.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,042 €908

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-15.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,432 €2,992

$3,617 ฿120.7K

-5.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,273 €1,982

$2,603 ฿86.9K

-12.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.31

5.57

-40.57%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Rota: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $927 in Rota and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $64.0 in Rota vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $274 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Rota vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,547 in Rota and $1,847 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $927 in Rota versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $830 in Rota versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Rota. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,698 in Rota, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Rota. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Rota, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Rota and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Rota. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.